Blogging with the Devils

David Bertrand

The most unlikely first-team defensive player for Arizona State during spring practice was, at this time last year, playing for the Sun Devils’ in-state rival.

Defensive tackle David Bertrand is a junior who, frustrated at Arizona’s unwillingness to offer him a scholarship after two years as a backup, transferred to ASU shortly before the start of last season. The Scottsdale Horizon High product played in six games for the Wildcats in 2006 and three in ’05, collecting seven career tackles.

“I’m really happy to be here and happy not to be there,” Bertrand said. “I had some personal problems and decided to leave there and wound up here. I played the first two years, and they just weren’t going to give me a scholarship. I had to get out of there.”

The 6-foot-1, 283-pound Bertrand has practiced with the first team since the second week of spring drills. Even as Saia Falahola (triceps) and David Smith (concussion) have returned from injuries, Bertrand has remained with the top unit.

Smith and Jonathan English are listed as the first-team tackles on ASU’s depth chart, and ex-Michigan player Eugene Germany (who can play tackle or end), junior-college transfer Spencer Gasu and highly-touted freshman Lawrence Guy are among seven defensive linemen arriving in the fall.

However, coach Dennis Erickson said that Bertrand has potential to contribute.

“I think he can help us. He’s had a good spring,” Erickson said. “He’s not big, but powerful, and he is getting an opportunity with other guys hurt. We need guys to step up at defensive tackle.”

Bertrand is one of two former Wildcats on the roster; redshirt freshman running back Avory Battle — whose brother, Allante, will play football and run track at ASU starting this fall — is the other.

“I can’t wait to get on the field against (Arizona),” said Bertrand, who will get a chance to line up against his former school on Dec. 6 in Tucson.

Tuesday’s practice was the next-to-last workout in pads this spring. ASU will don helmets only on Thursday before concluding drills with the spring game at 1 p.m. Saturday at Sun Devil Stadium.

“We had to get something done (on Tuesday), and we did,” Erickson said. “Thursday, we won’t do much in shorts. We’ll split into two teams and practice for about 45 minutes, and then we’ll have the game. By the time Saturday comes around, we should be ready to go. We should get something out of it.”

Asked his assessment of the team with the end of spring looming, Erickson said: “I’m happy with where we are defensively. We’re way ahead of where we were last year at this time because we have a lot of players back. Offensively, (quarterback) Rudy Carpenter has had an outstanding spring. Our front is getting better all the time. You can sense an improvement in that group since the beginning of spring ball.”

Erickson said that left tackle Jon Hargis, a converted defensive lineman, has improved in recent practices. Hargis is battling for one of three vacant starting spots on an offensive line that Erickson said has responded well to the simplified protection schemes.

“I thought we had too much last year,” said Erickson, whose offense surrendered a school-record 55 sacks in 2007. “Even if we had all of those (starters) back, I would still cut back on the stuff we did, because it was confusing. Things are easier. You aren’t going to pick up every blitz, but assignment-wise, we’re in good shape.”

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 15th, 2008 at 10:05 pm and is filed under Football. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.